Life felt magical.
We arrived on time, driving up to those familiar brass gates. Max navigated his car toward the house, its familiar grandness looming large, reminding me of the kind of family event I was stepping into.
He parked beside Nick’s Range Rover.
“Ready?” asked Max.
“What?” I said with a smirk. “No valets?”
“This is a private family affair.” He switched off the engine. “I told Mum to keep it simple. Just invite our closest family and friends. Nothing showy.”
“Oh, that will be much better.”
“I knew you’d agree.” He shuddered as though all that pomp and ceremony didn’t agree with him either. “Ready to face the dragon?”
“Your mum’s not that bad.”
“I meant Morgan.”
“I know you did. Of course I knew, because your mum—”
He grabbed hold of my pointing finger and gave it a shake. “Let’s stop there, Daisy. Or would you like me to get you a shovel?”
“I’m all good.”
“Don’t be nervous. We’ll just walk in and hold our heads up high. Everyone will be able to see we’re together. We won’t have to say a thing.”
“You’re right.” This was going to be me returning to shake off the girl I’d been before. I would create new memories and we would officially start our lives together with nothing to hide.
After stepping out of the car, I let him take my hand again and lead me inside.
I paused in the hallway, the marble and gold and shiny everything causing me to shiver. My feet froze as though this was my first time entering their intimidating manor home. This opulence was so foreign to me. I was going to have to watch everything I did and try not to embarrass myself or Max.
He glanced at me sideways. “Let’s go in here first.”
Max guided me into a room, and I recognized it. This was where I’d first caught sight of the family photo that had made me realize this was Nick’s childhood home. Max’s too, even though he’d only visited in the summer.
He followed my line of sight and looked up at the photo. “I was having a bad hair year.”
“You look cute.”
“Yeah, well. It’s my shame to carry.”
“Silly.” I punched his arm.
“I’m going to get you a drink.” He backed up. “Some liquid courage before you face the dragon.” He waggled his eyebrows playfully.
My hand slapped to my mouth, stifling a giggle.
He grinned and then disappeared out the door.
I let out a long, deep breath.
Neither of us had anything to worry about, I reassured myself. We weren’t doing anything wrong. As far as Nick was concerned, he’d moved on with Morgan. We’d both moved on, and now where that dull ache had been I felt nothing but gratitude.
Strange, how you can look back on your life and feel that way.
I stepped closer to the family photo, staring up at it as though seeing it for the first time—they had somehow made it work, this stepfamily. The two sons had gone on to have successful futures.
“Daisy?”
I spun round to see Nick in the doorway—a tuxedo-wearing hunk of a man, his hair a rebellious ruffle, his grey eyes bright and familiar and knowing. He stood there on crutches, his expression so different than how he’d looked at me last time I’d visited.
“Hi,” I said weakly.
“You’re here.” He hopped into the room using the crutches like he’d had them much longer.
“You invited me.”
“Yes, but after everything, I didn’t think you’d come.”
I opened my arms in a welcoming gesture. “Ready to party.”
“I hardly recognize you.” He closed the gap between us.
I ran trembling fingers over the soft material of my gown. “It’s new.”
“I can see that.” That voice, his voice…it once did things to me.
Now, it filled me with memories that spilled over like a fountain of hurt. The spell of infatuation had faded.
He reached out and trailed his fingertips through a loose lock of my hair.
I stepped back. “I got my makeup and hair done.”
Nick towered over me. “You look incredible.”
“You’ve seen me dolled up before.”
“Not like this.”
I glanced toward the door, half expecting Morgan to burst in.
“She’s not here.” He’d read my nervousness.
“Oh?”
“Me and Morgan…we’re over.” Nick shuffled to get comfortable on his good leg.
“I’m sorry. When…?”
“A few days ago. I found out she was still seeing her ex-boyfriend, after that fight inside the Spread Eagle. They were photographed together.”
“As good as admitting it, then?”
He nodded.
“I don’t know what to say.” I reached out and patted his arm to reassure him. Obviously, I’d not liked her. But seeing him sad was somehow worse.
“You did try to warn me, Daisy.”
“I had no right to interfere—”
“Look, the way I’ve been treating you lately, you didn’t deserve any of it. I mean, here you are, supporting me even now. After everything we’ve been through.”
“Um…well…” I shot a glance toward the door. “Hi, Max.”
Nick’s eyes flashed with disappointment and then he brightened. “Hey, bro. Glad you’re here.”
Max walked in with a cocktail in each hand. “Hey.” He flashed a glance my way. “How does a martini sound?”
“I’d love one.” I took it from him. “Nick just shared his news.”
Max gave a nod. “About Morgan? Sorry it didn’t work out, buddy.”
The alcohol burned my throat as I took a gulp.
Nick chuckled. “Slow down, we don’t want you in the pool again.”
“I’m trying to forget that,” I said.
“You went to all that trouble to confess your love and try to protect me.” Nick smirked. “That’s pretty romantic.”
Max was stone-faced, sipping his drink like this wasn’t awkward and we weren’t all on the edge of reason. I gave him a reassuring smile.
Tell him, Max.
Nick pointed to my drink. “That was nice of you, Max. Thank you for making her feel welcome.”
Max gave him a nod and then took a sip of his drink. What followed was a troubled moment of silence.
I smiled at Max again. Please, tell him.
“Well, I should, um…” Nick pointed to the door.
“We have something to tell you,” I burst out.
“Oh?” Nick flashed a wary look at his brother.
Max gave a nod. “We, as in Daisy and I…”
“You’re here!” said Gillian.
We turned to look at the strikingly beautiful presence in the doorway. Their mum was dressed in a long red gown that hugged her tall, lithe body. “You’re all hiding in here.” She narrowed her gaze on me. “Is that Daisy Whitby?”
“Yes, it’s me.” I tried not to wince.
“Didn’t recognize you at first. I do love that dress.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Banham.”
“Please, call me Gillian.”
“Or you could call her Mum.” Nick howled.
Max and I both cringed.
“Come on,” insisted Gillian. “Come join your guests. They’re wondering where you are, Nick.”
Max and I swapped a knowing smile.
We left the room to rejoin the party.
With Nick and Max on either side, I was introduced to their friends and family. If they recognized me from my previous disastrous visit, they were all kind enough not to say anything. Not to my face, anyway.
After an hour or so we joined a crowd who’d gathered in the kitchen, a more intimate group of friends who were amiable and welcoming. Included were some of Nick’s football buddies and an aunt and uncle who were a big deal in the music indu
stry. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement—the thrill of old friends being together again.
There’d been no good moment to tell Nick. Still, he was going to hear it soon. Or maybe he’d guess.
I couldn’t stand being this close to Max and not touching him. Not having him reach out and wrap his arm around my shoulder. From the way Max was frowning at me, he felt this same frustration, too.
Nick hopped up close to me. “Daisy, are you going to tell me what you’ve been up to lately?”
“How do you mean?”
“You seem…different.”
The room hushed and all eyes turned my way. I felt an uncomfortable sting of self-consciousness. Though this time, instead of getting looks of disapproval as the girl who’d been bouncing up and down on the cover of the family swimming pool, these were looks of expectation.
“Tell them what you’ve been doing, Daisy.” Max raised his glass to encourage me.
“Wait, how do you know what Daisy’s been up to?” asked Nick.
“I joined a Dare Club!” I burst out.
Nick looked intrigued. “That explains your Instagram. I thought you’d lost it for a minute.”
Laughter rose up around us.
“Actually,” I said. “I’ve hung off buildings, been a fashion model for a day—” I threw a smile at Max’s mum. “And done things I believed I’d never do. Tomorrow, I’ve got one more dare. They don’t tell us what it is until a few hours before.”
Max shared a proud smile with me.
He piped up, “Daisy has been inspirational for me, too.”
Nick swallowed hard; we both caught it.
“She’s influenced me,” added Max. “I have her to thank for helping me see life differently.”
“Max,” his mum hissed in warning.
He held her gaze for a long time and then peered down at his shoes, his expression conflicted. “I have an announcement.”
I stepped toward him in support. We were ready. We would be open to questions and we would still be here for Nick, who we expected might need some time to adjust to our news.
“This is all very exciting,” said Gillian nervously.
“I’ve been thinking about my future,” said Max. “How I want to spend the rest of my life.”
Oh, my God…
Here it comes…
Gillian set her glass down on the central island. “This feels like one of Daisy’s dares,” she said.
Max snagged another champagne glass off a tray. “I’m making a career change. I’m going to become a civil rights lawyer.”
My breath left me, my heart hammering at this near miss. I was happy for Max. How could I not be? Still, I’d been digging my fingernails into my palms waiting for an alternative announcement.
“That’s amazing,” I said.
“But you love the firm!” said Gillian.
“My dad’s company will continue to thrive,” added Max. “I’ll still be part of it. Only I’ll be doing what I love. I’ll be taking on cases for those who can’t afford an attorney like me. I’ll be fighting for justice.”
Nick wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “That’s amazing news, Max.”
“It’s what will make me happy.” Max gave his mum a reassuring glance.
“I can see you’ve given it a lot of thought,” she said. “I’m happy for you. If it’s what you really want.”
“It is.” He gave a nod of conviction.
A staff member sidled up to Gillian and whispered to her.
Gillian came over to talk with Max. “Can you sort this out?” She kept her voice low. “Apparently, the pastry chef is drunk. We need to call him an Uber.”
“Sure.” Max threw me an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back.”
I felt the loss of his presence from the room. And I sensed it was going to take more thought and a lot more time for us to come out with the truth.
Nick smiled at me. “Do you want another drink, Daisy?”
“No, thank you.” I reached for a handful of crisps.
“Don’t be nervous.” He hopped closer. “You’re here because I want you here. I need you here.”
I swallowed, and said, “I’m glad to see you doing better.”
“There’s something I want to ask you.”
I gave him a nervous smile. “I think we should just focus on having a good time.”
“You really like salt and vinegar crisps, don’t you? You always eat like this when you’re nervous.”
“But I’m not. I’m happy. Really.”
“You know what, I’m just going to say it in front of everyone. You deserve a public apology.”
“What? No…”
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Nick tapped his champagne glass with the back of a teaspoon, and then set them on the center island.
He looked around to make sure he had everyone’s attention. “Thank you for coming to show your support. Now cover your ears, Mum.” His smile was full of sadness. “I’ve fucked things up. I’ve probably ruined my chance of playing football professionally. I’ve pissed away years of training. All because I made a snap decision to do the right thing outside the Spread Eagle. It’s a pub, by the way, for those with dirty minds. Anyway, I took on a total git to protect the woman I was with at the time. Huge mistake…which is why I’m on crutches. I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes lately.” Nick fixed his line of sight on me.
I recognized that look, and I almost snapped the stem of my champagne glass. I hadn’t seen that kindness in his eyes for months…that boyish charm directed at me.
“Daisy, I’m so sorry for what I put you through. You’re beautiful, funny, and kindhearted. You tried to warn me about ‘you know who’—and even after everything, you’re still here. You were one of the first people to visit me in the hospital. I’ve been an idiot.” He scanned the many faces in the room to see their reaction.
All of their expressions were full of hope for him. Hope for his recovery and for his future—and so many of those gazes were filled with love.
“Daisy, come here.” Nick gestured for me to step closer.
My mouth went dry and I couldn’t move.
Gillian stared at me.
She had to know I loved her oldest son more.
I’d been moving rapidly toward a brilliant future, a place where true love reigned and where hearts were safe. It was a place of trust.
I loved my new life.
Nick moved closer, raising his glass in a toast. “To the most amazing woman in the world!”
The crowd shared the sentiment, raising their glasses and beaming at us both. The only face in the crowd that looked concerned belonged to Gillian, her eyes widening in warning for me not to say anything contradictory.
My attention snapped back to Nick.
“I’m sorry, Daisy.”
“It’s fine, Nick. I’ll always care for you—you know that. Me almost drowning in your swimming pool proves it.”
Laughter rose and we shared a cheeky grin with everyone.
“I’ve lost everything,” he said, becoming emotional. “Because I lost sight of who I was. I forgot what’s important. But through it all you were there.”
My throat tightened and I threw a glance toward the door hoping to see Max. I hoped he’d stride in and say something that would take this conversation in another direction.
“After the accident I hated myself,” added Nick. “I couldn’t bear to look in the mirror. Then you came to see me in the hospital, Daisy.” He lowered his voice. “I’d get on my knees to beg you to take me back but that’s not possible right now.”
My heart pounded furiously against my chest and I felt dizzy and lightheaded.
“It’s a lot to take in,” whispered Nick. “But I wanted to do it in a place that’s special to me.”
The place I’d never seen the whole time we’d lived together. A soft, panicked murmur escaped my lips. Looking around, I tried to find Max in the crowd again, tried to find the only man who
’d know how to handle this without embarrassing Nick or hurting him any worse.
“Daisy?” Nick rested his right crutch against the center island and took my hand.
I blinked, feeling like I was having an out-of-body experience.
A roar erupted from the crowd as Nick pulled me into a hug.
Wait…
I broke away, my cheeks flushed. Movement in the archway caused my freaked-out stare to move away from Nick’s face over to where Max was now standing.
I could see words trying to form on his lips, but he couldn’t say them.
Instead, Max rushed forward and embraced Nick. “Well done. You did the right thing.”
“She’s amazing, isn’t she Max?”
“Of course she is.” Max turned to me, leaning over to kiss my cheek—though he failed to make eye contact. “Congratulations, Daisy.”
“Max,” I said, sounding panicked.
He broke away, strolling back through the archway and out of the kitchen.
A flash went off near my face and I blinked away the stars.
Remember to breathe.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Nick, fighting back tears.
He blew me a kiss.
I hurried out, scurrying down a long hallway, pausing to peek into each room as I went, hoping to find Max. I had to catch him and explain…I didn’t want to be with Nick. I wanted him. From the first moment we’d met it had been him.
Pushing open a door, I found Max standing at a window, texting.
I ran toward him.
He raised a hand to warn me not to come too close. “Someone might see.”
A thousand tons of pressure pushed against my chest. Drawing in full breaths was impossible. “Did you hear his speech?” I asked.
He let out a sigh. “This is what you wanted. What you fought for.”
“No, Max you and I—”
“I’ll always be here for you. You know that. But I have to return to Brazil—I have a situation in São Paulo.”
He was steadying his emotions.
Pushing me away.
I reached for his arm. “Please, Max—”
He brushed off my hand.
The door flew open. “Daisy!” Nick appeared on his crutches. “We have to take more photos.”
Maximum Dare Page 19
